Students Rake a Difference’ to help community

Saturday

Nov 16, 2013 at 12:31 PMNov 16, 2013 at 12:31 PM

By Jim.Hayden@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4274

Lisa Scherer leaned on a cane and watched students from West Ottawa High School rake the leaves from her yard.“This is awesome,” she said Saturday morning from the driveway of her Holland home on Ottawa Avenue. “If I had to do this myself, I’d still be doing it come spring cleanup.”The students were part of the Greater Ottawa County United Way Rake a Difference Day. The annual event brings volunteers out to help people who have financial or physical hardships with raking and yard cleanup, according to Shannon Morton, director of volunteerism for the United Way.More than 90 volunteers worked at about 28 homes on Saturday, Morton said.Students Zac Hunley, Spencer Slenk, Ryan Ramirez and Paulina Thomas raked leaves in Scherer’s yard to the curb and helped pick up some hedge clippings. They also raked the leaves from Scherer’s neighbor’s property as well.“We’re trying to get the houses that need it,” said Hunley.The ninth- and 10th-graders work through their school’s Students Live United program to volunteer for the yard cleanup.“It’s a way to help people,” said Thomas as she picked up some of the few remaining leaves on the lawn.Scherer has multiple sclerosis and can handle raking a few leaves, but not the full coverage of late fall.“A lot of people don’t realize that there are good, awesome young kids,” she said.As the students wrapped up their work, Scherer wished them happy holidays.“Thank you so much. This is fantastic,” she told them.— Follow Jim Hayden on Twitter@SentinelJim.